Week 11 of the NFL season sees the New Orleans Saints face just the third 2025 playoff team on their schedule when they travel to face the Chicago Bears. The game will be on Sunday, Nov. 22, making it a potentially tricky outing from a weather aspect. It will also be the first road game for the Saints after two contests at home following their bye week.
Chicago is coming off an 11-6 record and an NFC North championship, their first division title since 2018. The Bears are led by dynamic quarterback Caleb Williams, who flourished in his second year under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. New Orleans had their own first-time head coach in 2025 with Kellen Moore. The Saints finished only 6-11, but won four of their last five behind rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
This season will mark the 36th all-time meeting between the Saints and Bears. New Orleans has fared pretty well in these matchups, especially recently. Here’s a look through the series.
Saints vs. Bears series history
- Overall: 19-16
- Away: 10-11
- Last 10 matchups: 8-2
- Last 5 matchups: 4-1
- Longest winning streak: 8 (Saints; 2011-2023)
- Last meeting in Chicago (2025): Bears (26-14)
Chicago owned a significant early advantage in this series. The Bears won five of their first six games over the Saints between 1968 and 1975. New Orleans got their first win against the Bears in 1973 after three previous losses, a 21-16 victory in Tulane Stadium. The Saints lost their first two trips to Chicago in 1971 and 1974, finally getting a victory on the shores of Lake Michigan with a 42-24 decision during the 1977 season.
New Orleans and Chicago have faced off three times in the playoffs. The Bears won two games in Chicago and the Saints took one in New Orleans. Chicago defeated the Saints by a 16-6 score during a 1990 Wild-Card matchup in an ugly affair. The Bears also took down the Saints in the 2006 NFC Championship game by a 39-14 margin despite 354 passing yards from Drew Brees and 132 receiving yards from Reggie Bush. New Orleans earned a measure of revenge in 2020 in a 21-9 wild card victory over the Bears. It was the final victory for Brees in his legendary career.
After back-and-forth swings in this series through the 1980s and 1990s, the Saints took firm control in 2000. New Orleans has a 11-5 record over the Bears, including an eight-game winning streak that was snapped by the Bears last season. Since that NFC title game loss in Chicago in 2007, the Saints have a 4-3 record in Chicago. Prior to last season’s defeat, the Saints had won their last four trips to the Lake Michigan shore dating back to the 2013 campaign.
New Orleans and Chicago have met only three times in November prior to this year’s game. The Saints own a 2-1 advantage in those showdowns, including a 1-1 November split in Chicago.
Most will make this year’s matchup about the quarterbacks. In his third season, many expect Caleb Williams to take his place among the game’s stars. On the New Orleans side, Tyler Shough appears to be the franchise quarterback the Saints have needed since Brees retired. There are some coaching storylines to this game also.
Dennis Allen was an extremely successful defensive assistant with the Saints for 12 seasons but a failure as a head coach for three years. After fired in New Orleans, Allen headed up a very opportunistic defense with Chicago last season. Offensive-minded head coaches Ben Johnson and Kellen Moore are each heading into their second seasons with new weapons, as continued development of their quarterbacks will determine the success of each.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears: Who holds the series lead?